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Fort Funston, located in the southwestern end of San Francisco, is one of Otter’s favorite places to meet up with other dogs and run freely through the sand dunes off-leash. on a given day, thousands of dogs visit to frolic in this decommissioned military defense site on the wind-swept coastal hills in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).

Once a harbor defense site and Nike Misile launching site during the cold war, the salty air now is slowly reclaiming remnants of abandoned artillery battery stations and old access roads.

After visiting the San Francisco Botanical Garden during the annual ‘Flower Piano’ celebration, we headed over to Cha Cha Cha’s to experience incredible cuisine amid the chaos of blaring Latin music, devotional alters, and abundant laughter. The aromatic Cuban spices hang heavy in the air as the indigo walls of the restaurant envelop one’s senses. The kitchen is bustling with excitement while your stomach and your brain simultaneously define a divine hunger.

We took this photo while strolling along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. This exciting sculpture is called ‘Cupid’s Span’, created by famed pop artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen. 💘

The brightly painted fiberglass-and-steel sculpture stands approx. 60 feet (18 meters) in Rincon Park at the foot of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Installed in 2002, the artist’s inspiration for this piece was San Francisco’s reputation as the ‘City of Passion’, invoking the mythological account of Eros shooting his arrow into the center of the earth to make it fertile. Many have commented that while Cupid’s bow is symbolic of love, the shape of this magnificent work also evokes sailing ships and the Bay Bridge itself.

Rooftop of The California Academy Of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA.
This was always my favorite place to go as a child. Newly remodeled in 2008, the natural science museum now features a living rooftop with over 1.7 million California native plants, which opens to allow natural ventilation throughout the building. If you get the opportunity for a visit, don’t forget to stop by the alligator pit and say ‘hello’ to Claude, the albino American gator.
Adult admission is $35 and family memberships are available for $250/year. http://www.calacademy.org/

Nothing screams autumn on the west coast like fresh, succulent Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister). Bay Area crab-lovers eagerly await the opening of the season every November. Unfortunately, this year, the state Department of Public Health has issued restrictions due to a toxin known as domoic acid, which can cause everything from mild gastrointestinal illness to death in severe cases.

Sadly, humans are not the only ones affected by this neurotoxin. Hundreds of marine mammals and birds have been sickened and died due to the unusually high levels of the toxic acid occurring off the coast this year.

About

Le Voov! represents my passion for life. I believe clean air, purified water, sunshine, fresh flowers, wine, garlic, music, and laughter with family and friends all nourish the soul. Creating and enjoying delicious, healthy meals with those I love brings me an immense amount of happiness. Good nutrition is at the core of my belief that with a strong foundation of health and wellness, one can achieve anything they desire in life. As my wise sensei always said; "One cannot project what is not collected…"

Restaurant Review

At Le Voov! we celebrate the fresh, wholesome, healthy cuisine made available to us by the many talented chefs in restaurants around the globe. In blending our appreciation for quality food, with our adventurous spirit to explore a variety of cultures through our curious palate, we seek out the spices, flavors and culinary traditions from every corner of this little blue planet.

If you know of an extraordinary restaurant you would like us to review, please access our contact information and share your secret spot. Thank you in advance!

Product Review

At Le Voov! we appreciate the value of efficient, high-quality products for the home. Over the years, friends and family have asked me to make a list of my favorite gadgets, tools, gifts and books for the home and the garden.

Guess Where I Am…? 🌎

Guess Where I Am...?

From time to time, I post a photo of some magical place on the planet we’ve visited recently with the question ‘Guess Where I Am…?’ I provide the location and information pertaining to the photo. If you are so observant and well traveled as to get many of the answers correct, you can be assured you are living the Voovacious Lifestyle!

During a recent construction project at the house, an abandoned heater vent was discovered tucked deep under the lath & plaster. Apparently no one had bothered to inform the dog about this new gaping whole in the wall, and just guess what happened…?

Yep, Otter-Pop’s favorite and most cherished toy, her obnoxious yellow squeaky-ball, found it’s way down into that naughty hole in the wall. Rats! 😬

Le Voov! Movie Guide 🎥

We have always enjoyed an eclectic array of cinematic adventures in our movie choices! When I was in college, I developed a movie rating system involving a cow named ‘Bessie’. Bessie would become bipedal and applaud if she liked the film, sit in her movie chair with her legs crossed if she was bored, or leave a simple, steaming pile of poop if she thought the movie was below her very high, bovine standards. Perhaps in time I will resurrect the image of dear Bessie the cow, but for now, here is a smattering of some truly amazing movies I’ve enjoyed over the years. If you wish to share a voovacious cinematic title or two with us, please feel free to Contact us. Enjoy!

Dear Matilda

Thelma & Louise

Dear Matilda,

One of my best gal pals from college lives across the country. We have remained very close over the years, talking several times a week by phone and Skype. Two months ago, we decided to plan a road trip to Colorado to visit her niece, whom I’m very close with. We’re both really excited to have a bit of quality face-to-face time together while traveling. So, we’ve been enthusiastically planning excursions and adventures into our 6-day journey, including museums, shopping, a girls spa day, hiking a few national parks, fun restaurants to visit with her niece, etc.

Then, about three weeks ago, I was contacted by another friend from college whom I have consciously maintained little interaction with over the years. She informed me that she’d heard about our road trip and invited herself to join us...